We now have a development team participating at the World Wheelchair and Amputee Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Their opponents will be two similarly composed American teams, a South African team, and a brand new team from the host country. Unfortunately, the Argentinean team pulled out of the tournament, and the existing teams in Mexico and Columbia were unable to attend for financial reasons.

We were last at the WWG in 2003, where we competed as two Canadian teams in Christchurch, New Zealand. Canada did not attend the 1999 WWG.

Check out the schedule of the upcoming games, as well as the team members from our southerly neighbours in the USA, who have two teams of eight players each in the sunny south.

Our team leader, Cathy Cadieux sent this message out to the Rugby Road Journal last night:

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"After a somewhat shaky start here in Brazil (hotel issues between the hotel and the organizing committee), we are settled into our hotel.

Aside from the inaccessibility of almost all of the bathrooms, it is not too bad here at the Rio Othon. Hats off to staff members Marc Deschênes, Jean Choinière and Benoit Labrecque and welcome supporter Rob Parsons, for pitching in and helping the players with transfers, equipment, water runs and anything else that needs doing.

We made our way to the Naval School today for our first practice. It was sunny and hot when we arrived at 9:00am and so our practice (from 9-12) was a little steamy, given that the facility has no air conditioning. But, the weather turned as our practice finished and it became cool and breezy. Timing is everything!

Practice was good, but what was even better was lunch. Affectionately dubbed "cat food" by those unfortunate to get the lunches with the mysterious brown stuff as an entree, the lunches remained largely uneaten, with the exception of the fruit, muffin and drinks. The staff will head out to the grocery store this evening, after dinner, to stock up on more water, fruit (bananas, of course), bars (of course) and anything else that might supplement tomorrow's repast.

The afternoon, however, was inspiring. The Argentinians got into some rugby chairs, the Brazilians fielded 12 players all sporting new, shiny, yellow, basketball chairs. With some Canadian support from Coach Labrecque, HPC Marco, Coach Choinière and players Mike
Whitehead, Say Luangkhamdeng and Trevor Hirschfield, we had a game. With Americas Zone
President Dan McCauley and Marco acting as ambassadors to both teams, in was inspiring
to see the seeds of development beginning to grow in the Americas Zone.

That's it for now. We have practice again tomorrow at 9:00am, so we'll have more to report tomorrow afternoon, from Brazil!"

- Cathy

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